


feeling a moment

by flwrhye



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005), Sarah Jane Adventures
Genre: Episode: s02e13 Doomsday, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, One-Sided The Doctor/Rose Tyler - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-17 06:27:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29588601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flwrhye/pseuds/flwrhye
Summary: It's late when she hears it; that unmistakable thrum echoing through her house. She could recognise it from anywhere, the familiar wheezing that brings hope wherever it finds itself, anywhere to anyone. Oh how she had longed to hear that sound.
Relationships: Tenth Doctor/Sarah Jane Smith
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	feeling a moment

**Author's Note:**

> very self indulgent but they are simply everything to me <3

It's late when she hears it; that unmistakable thrum echoing through her house. She could recognise it from anywhere, the familiar wheezing that brings hope wherever it finds itself, anywhere to anyone. Oh how she had longed to hear that sound. 

Sarah Jane has no exact idea what time she had finally succumbed to sleep, body burning with the creeping exhaustion that had been hovering over her for weeks now, but the early traces of dawn had yet to filter into the room when she is torn from it. 

Her immediate instinct is to check on Luke, everyone knows the Doctor doesn't just do house calls and she'd never forgive herself if something were to happen to her young son. Peering through the crack in his door, she lets out an unconscious sigh that she hadn't even been aware she'd been holding in. Luke was fast asleep with a book Liz had leant him last week about something Sarah Jane had no hope of understanding still firm in his grasp. 

The house appeared to fall back into an uneasy silence, accompanied by a gentle breeze seeping through the latched window after the initial shock. She almost considered going back to bed herself, putting the whole ordeal down to her sleep deprived brain overcompensating. That is of course until movement comes from up in the attic. 

She climbs the stairs with an amused chuckle, still half convinced she's going mad only to be met with the one thing her mind couldn't allow her to think would really be there. Her mouth gapes in audible surprise at the sight of the blue box she'd spent her youth chasing the universe around in parked next to Mr Smith. 

The Doctor is leant against the wall staring into nothingness, fatigue etched onto his face. For her it hadn't even been a year since their last encounter, but she could tell for the Doctor it had been far longer. His face was so young and new but his eyes told a different story- so much pain and despair for one man. She knew that look well. The façade he wore when the weight on his shoulders seemed so unbearably heavy; the ache of centuries of loss near implacable. The man before her now was a far cry from the man she had met at Deffry Vale, so full of life and hope. 

"You're here." Sarah Jane whispers, her voice small as if she was scared to let herself speak it aloud, "It's really you." 

"My Sarah Jane." The words tumble out of his mouth as easy as breathing as he gathers Sarah Jane up in his arms breathing in her scent as if it were a life line. 

An indescribable sense of comfort washes over her as she settles into the familiarity of his embrace, "What's bought all this on?" She enquiries. 

All it took were those five words for him to go rigid in her arms, "Rose." His shaky voice resonates through the attic, "She's gone." 

It might have been the waver in his voice, or the slip in the friendly, nurturing mask he always made sure to maintain, or the trace of unshed tears in the corner of eyes. It might have been all three. Sarah Jane wraps her arms tighter around him anyway, "Doctor- i'm so sorry." 

"Parallel world." He elaborates, "She's got her mum and Mickey, even her dad. She'll be safe." Sarah Jane can't tell whether he's saying it to reassure her or himself but she nods regardless. 

"What about you, are you alright?" Her voice softened as she pulled away to get a good look at him, allowing a hand to linger, curled into the fabric of his coat; just enough to reassure him that she wasn't going anywhere. 

The Doctor has never been good at dealing with his own uneasiness. He struggles to find his words, the agitated silence of the dark hung heavy around them, the air thick and awkward as if it had put a seal on their mouths, keeping them from conversing with each other. 

He tests a lot of words in his mouth, running his tongue over them as he tries to pick them apart to decide what would be the best way to go about talking about it. In the end, he decides Sarah Jane deserves the truth, "You know the first thing I did after the Daleks and Cybermen were all gone and the parallel world sealed?" 

She furrows her brow, sending him a sceptical look as she motions for him to continue. 

"I checked the list of the dead." The timelord admits cautiously, "For you Sarah." 

"Oh Doctor." She whispers, so gentle it were as if it was never really meant to be heard. 

"She loved me Sarah." His soft and pained voice pierced the tension in the attic, "She was willing to give her life for mine, but I couldn't love her back. I should've been worrying about getting her back but all I could think of was you. Will Sarah know what to do? Is Sarah safe? Is Sarah alive?" 

"Look at me Doctor. I'm fine." She insists, firmly taking hold of the doctors hand and lacing their fingers together as reassurance. His expression could have easily been mistaken for pain, if it were not for the barely concealed fondness and the faint trace of a smile at his mouth. 

"Now come here." Sarah Jane exhales, breath tickling the edges of the Doctor's collarbones, and she leans down to press her lips against his forehead. The Doctor leans into the touch, barely pressing forward before she moves away and curls her fingers into the back of his neck, bringing their faces together with a slow yet firm hand. 

"What will you do now." They had moved the sofa, settling against each other as if it were a reflex Sarah Jane curled into the Doctor's side, her head propped onto the Doctor's chest, with one of his arms wrapped around him. 

"I really don't know." He sighs, absentmindedly playing with Sarah Jane's hair, gently running his fingers through the soft layers. 

"Promise me something Doctor. Just one thing." She ventures, turning to face him, "When you go back out there, flying about being brilliant in that old box of yours- find someone to travel with you. Being alone isn't healthy. You need someone with you." Her voice is final and unyielding, leaving no room for any of his excuses or evasions. 

"The offer still stands you know. You could come." She can hear it in his tone, the fragile optimism and the remnants of a hope scarcely dwelt on for fear of what might come of it. It almost breaks her to turn him down again. 

"I'm too old for all that now Doctor, and besides I've got a son to look after now. I can't just abandon Luke." 

Hurt briefly flashes over his face before his mouth quirks upwards into a gentle smile, "Ah yes. I've heard about your Luke Smith, sounds like a good kid." 

Sarah Jane smiles, a genuine smile that reached her eyes and lit up her face, "He's wonderful. You'd like him." 

It's Sarah Jane who breaks the comfortable silence they'd fallen into, embraced in the familiarity of each other, "You'll always be welcome here Doctor, never forget that. Go back out there to the stars and do what you do best but don't be a stranger, i'll always be here for you if you ever need me." 

"My Sarah." The Doctor gently squeezes her hand as a silent way to convey his thanks. I love you, goes unsaid as he interlaces their fingers together - but Sarah Jane knows. She leans into him, head falling against his shoulder, and body pressed together in comforting warmth. I love you too.


End file.
